Just Not Deep Enough: Fix This Point of View Problem 👉

Published 11 months ago • 1 min read

The word "draftsmanship" in handwritten black lettering

Curated insights to help fiction writers improve their craft

A stack of books, a notepad, an e-reader, and a coffee cup sit on a wooden bench.

Ever picked up a book that felt… flat? You’re watching the characters move, hearing what they say—but somehow, you’re not feeling anything.

That’s the sneaky problem with a shallow point of view.

A sneaky POV problem

Even when writers think they’re using deep third-person POV, it often isn’t deep enough—and readers can tell. (Sometimes, they even DNF.)

In this article, I’m breaking down why this happens and how to fix it. You’ll learn how to:

Spot when your narrative voice slips into an omniscient or detached tone
Replace “telling” with emotional immersion that makes readers feel
Use language, sensation, and bias to anchor readers inside your character’s experience

If your goal is to write a book readers can’t put down—or feel downright haunted by 👻—this one’s worth a read.

👉 Read the full article: Why Your Deep POV Isn’t Deep Enough (and How to Fix It)

Go Deeper with Writing Exercises

What's on your autumnal reading list?

Spooky, scary thrillers and horror 💀🔪

Gothic vibes, vampires, and dark academia 🦇🩸

Something else 🥰

Have a good book recommendation? Reply to this email to let me know.

Happy worldbuilding and wordsmithing!

Emily Dahl

Dahlhouse Editing LLC

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